Brothers In Blood
by UnknownWriter888
Summary: Taylor Cullen is a sheep among lions. He's perfectly normal in every way… Except that his entire family are vampires. All he wants is a normal life, but in Forks, nothing is normal. Follow his story as he lives among them, and listen to his recap of Twilight.
1. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen

**Chapter One: Accidents Happen**

In Forks, Washington, it was another typical rainy Tuesday afternoon, but, like always, no one cared. A single bird had flown down from the grey sky to land on the windowsill of the Fork High School Cafeteria, and pecked at a worm in the ground.

I watched it from inside the cafeteria, bored out of my mind, while picking at the yucky slop on my tray. My siblings weren't being very social today, no surprises there. Alice and Jasper were conversing softly, but I couldn't hear a word they were saying. Rosalie and Emmett were… Ugh, don't even ask, I don't know. Plotting world domination? Making out? Planning to be asshole for the rest of my life?

Edward was missing, he was probably still in Alaska. I didn't entirely know the circumstances of why he had run off but I knew it had something to do with the new girl, Bella. I personally didn't think she was all that great, but I would never say that out loud. I caught her staring at us several times during the week and I gazed back, more out of curiosity and interest then rudeness. She, like most people, would know I wasn't like the rest of my family…

I am nothing special to look at, I know that. Grey eyes, a buzz cut instead of hair, mole on the left side of nose and had nothing but simple straight features… I'm plain, boring when it comes to looks. My body is nothing special either, like, I keep myself in good shape and all but it's nothing compared to my brother's muscles. I had never had a girlfriend; no one here would want to date " _that Cullen kid_ ".

A sudden feeling of happiness washed over me and I stopped musing over my unattractiveness and looked up to see a small smirk of Jasper's face. I grimaced at him before I mouthed one word. _Jackass_! I couldn't help but shoot a right grin back at him though.

Jasper is my favourite brother, despite the fact he sometimes wants to eat me. He's not always in my face, trying to get me to do 'normal' stuff and perfectly happy to let me sit and enjoy his company. He always said my blood didn't call to him as strongly as the others for an odd reason. Carlisle said it was good luck. I called it a coincidence.

Carlisle… My father. Not biological, no, but he was just as good. He made every precaution to keep me safe from harm, whether it be childhood bullies or vampires. He did everything a father was meant to do, play football with me, come watch my childhood soccer games, gave me 'the talk'… I cracked a smile at that thought. Who in their right mind would think that a human would be so used to living with vampires.

I sighed and glanced to the left at the apple sitting on Rosalie's tray. A mere prop, just there to complete the human charade for her. I took it in my hand and tossed it up, watching it spin in the air before catching again in the same hand. Emmett watched it with curious eyes, perhaps wondering why I found this entertaining.

After the third throw-and-catch, his hand shot out and caught it ahead of mine. He laughed when he saw my annoyed expression. "Calm down bro, have your food," he laughed quietly, before tossing back to me, almost like he amused at the idea of eating food.

I took a bite and chewed it silently. Emmett was an ass and he knew it. A child in a man's body, I often said. "Real mature," I finally said sarcastically after I swallowed.

Emmett would usually say something witty back but something kept him silent. He was thinking about Edward, I was sure of it. They all were. His brow was furrowed and he glanced at Rosalie, who just raised an eyebrow at him.

The bell rang then and I stood quickly, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "See you soon," I called back to them as I hurried off to class. Alice was in my Junior Science class but she would keep to Jasper's side to make sure he was okay. He was paired with Rosalie most of the time, thanks to Carlisle milking the foster child stereotype. Anxiety separation… I had snorted over my dinner when I heard that one.

I felt an ice-cold hand touch mine and I knew Alice was by my side. She was a pixie compared to me; her head barely reach my shoulders, which gave me a reason to lean on her most of the time. We were close, she was my confident when it came to most things regarding my human life, but then again, she knew what I was going to tell her every time I asked her for a talk.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She had noticed my grumpy mood it seems. I just shrugged, not thinking about anything but the coming lesson and what I planned to do when I got back home. Either run on the treadmill or go for a bike ride, I decided.

Alice's head tipped curiously towards but she didn't say anything more as we entered the class room.

Class was dismal to say the least. Science was not my strong suit but I never bothered to study. I just wasn't interested. Edward offered to tutor me but I turned him down merely for the fact I couldn't have him telling me I was wrong. Stupid Edward and his mind-reading cheating strategy.

You think we would get along better because we were both the single men of the house, but that wasn't the case. He treated me like a kid, despite the fact we were both physically the same age. He was an ass, and not the one you could put up with. I loved him as a brother, but he annoyed the hell out of me!

I almost ran out of class and walked swiftly through the hallways, nudging students out of the way as Alice followed, almost dancing through the gaps like a pretty ballerina. I heard Jasper's voice before I saw him, as he greeted Alice with a corny line and a kiss. Gross. I made a face at the scene.

Rosalie and Emmett were already at Rose's red BMW, waiting for us as she protected the shiny red vehicle from overexcited freshmen. I ignored them both, and opened the back seat door and pulled my motorbike helmet and jacket out to put over my simple blue shirt I wore now.

The family wasn't keen on my mode of transport but I loved my Honda. It was my baby and a hell of a bike. Rosalie taught me how to service it myself so I didn't have to bug her all the time and made it run smoother then a baby's behind. I secretly called her (my bike) Blackie because of obvious reasons. But I never referred to her as that around my family. I would be the laughing stock of the household until the day I die.

I pulled out of the car park before they did. I liked riding alone, being alone. Instead of silence that drove me insane, it was peace. Just me and my thoughts, just me and my baby, just me... Perfect tranquillity.

I took the long route home, so I could get to a long stretch of mountain road that had nothing but trees on either side. As I glanced over my shoulder, I spied the BMW heading towards me at an astonishing speed. I smirked and moved into the centre of the road, blocking Rosalie's path.

I could see the car behind me and I knew she was pissed. I moved to the side and let her pull alongside me. Even through the dark visor of the helmet, I could see her mouthing a challenge. _Race ya?_

I chuckled at the idea, but I still revved Blackie and hit the accelerator and tore up the road, moving so fast I could barely see the trees. It was a windy day and they swayed like a crowd during a slow moving song at a rock concert. We played with each other, teasing and feinting at one another, vehicle against bike. But then I felt something change, a shift in the winds it would seem.

On the final miles of the road, Rosalie and I were neck and neck in racing towards the end of the road but she saw the tree before I did. I was aware of the screeching of brakes but I didn't seem to register it, register what it meant. But then I was aware of the might oak crashing towards me. I hit my brakes and screamed to a stop, before I went into a vicious spin and crashed, hitting the tree front on. Time was slowed down as I was thrown over the handlebars. I tucked in instinctively as I flew through the air over the tree and landed roughly on the asphalt, a few meters away.

I laid there, panting, trying to think. I could hear the sound of cars opening and my name being screamed. But I still didn't move. I don't know why.

Someone grabbed me and lifted me onto my feet, supporting my weight effortlessly. My helmet was pulled off roughly and suddenly Rosalie was in my field of view. "Taylor, I'm sorry! I didn't know that was going to happen," she said breathlessly, genuinely worried for my safety. Now THAT never happened.

Was I okay? I felt my arms and my chest. I ached, but I didn't seem to have any broken bones or be bleeding in any shape or form. "I'm… I'm okay," I managed to stammer, still panting. "Just roughed up." I winced when Emmett touched my shoulder, trying to reassure me.

Jasper let out a loud breath; he must have been holding his breath in case I was spurting out blood. "You are so damn lucky," he muttered. "I'll run the bike back, you are not riding home."

I grumbled, but complied. I slid into the back of the car, watching as Jasper blurred away, my bike in his arms. Alice put an arm around me and I slid against her, feeling completely at ease with her. My eyes closed and I drifted in between sleep and consciousness. I could feel her fussing over me, worried like a mother hen.

I must have hit the brakes at close to 45 mph… How the hell did I survive? Was I turned into a vampire in my sleep? How did I end up with not a single broken bone?

I kept going over these thoughts for quite some time, before the jolt of the car stopping awoke me from my daydreaming. I raised my head, feeling like a sleepy bear after hibernation, but followed my siblings out of the car and looked around the garage, searching for my baby, my Blackie.

When I saw her I couldn't stop the mournful cry echoing from my gut. She was scratched up beyond belief and the front fender was caved in so much that it looked like a single bit of metal. Brake fluid was leaking and she was missing the muffler as well as one side of the rear guard. My poor bike!

Alice patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Come on, Taylor," she said softly. "Carlisle needs to check you over."

Moments later I was half-naked in our kitchen, well, more like my kitchen to be fair, clad in nothing but a pair of shorts as Carlisle examined me. Esme was standing very still nearby, watching and clucking as Carlisle checked nearly every inch of my body. The others were about, doing whatever they liked to do.

"I'm amazed you don't have a scrape on you," Carlisle finally said, stepping back to lean against the white counter top. "You are either very lucky or very solid."

I chuckled. "Can we say the latter?" I joked as I flexed my bicep, emphasising the small muscle tone I had there.

Carlisle laughed and handed me my shirt, a white tank top. "If that please you, son," he teased which prompted both Esme and I to laugh loudly. She moved to my shoulder and touched it gently, a sign of love before moving around the kitchen at vampire speed, as she started to prepare me dinner. I would protest, but that would lead me nowhere.

How did a vampire manage to cook better then a human did? Who knows the hell knows. I left her to it and wandered past Emmett and Jasper playing chess to the glass doors gazing outside over the yard, before sliding up the door to get to the porch.

Out here sat a punching bag on a stand, a treadmill and an iPod dock I used when working out. I loved to listen to music when I was working out, it seemed to motivate me just that tad bit more. I slipped my iPod out of my pocket and set it up in the doc, before selecting my workout playlist. I could feel Emmett and Jasper's stares boring into my back as I pulled on the gloves. Like always, ignoring them was the key.

The first song was slow, a Panic! At The Disco song that was from their new album. It was slow, but still held a tempo I could work out to. My muscles still ached like all hell, but it was

Emmett use to hold the bag for me while I was out here but as I learnt how to throw a punch and got older, I was able to do it by myself. And I had also begun to gain a temper and my tongue would give him a lashing if he ever tried to tease me. If there was thing I couldn't stand, it was the family trying to outshine me.

I couldn't blame them though. When you were blessed with exceptional strength, speed and stamina, how could you not be perfect at every skill? Not to mention the decades they have had to perfect it all. Life was unfair.

Carlisle asked me once about my mortality. I was fourteen and had no idea what to say. Live forever, be stuck in the same body until the end of time? I said no before I had time to think about it and I saw the look on my father's face. He wouldn't force me, no, he wasn't that kind of man, but he was disappointed.

He wasn't the only one. Every single member of my family wished they had the choice I had, but they weren't willing for me to keep being on human and ageing while they stayed ever youthful. It was an agonising decision. Stay youthful and have the full support of a family, or throw that all away to grow old and have a career, perhaps kids someday? Rosalie would love that.

I didn't notice the tempo of the music increase as songs flicked through and eventually come to the faster end of the playlist. And by faster, I meant death metal. Involuntarily, my punches became faster and harder and my thoughts turned sour.

Why should I let my family pick my fate though? I had enough to worry about without my mortality thrown in the mix. School, assignments, career choices, collage, family… It was all a typical teenager's drama, but with a pack of vampires thrown in to stir the pot and shit in it.

I gritted my teeth. No, this was _my_ time and I would spend it how I wanted! The music flowed through me, like a new form of energy. I sang along with the lyrics, despite the fact they were being screamed and growled, and darted around the bag, hitting it harder and harder. I was aware of sweat beading from my forehead and dripping down into my eyes.

 _Seconds from the end,  
What's it gonna be?  
Pull the trigger bitch!_

Finally, my bubbling rage took over and I launched a fierce strike at the bag with all my strength, expecting my hand to be hurt from the sheer weight of it. What I wasn't expecting, was for me to send the punching bag flying.

With a sound like a thunder crack, it flew off the stand and crashed into the opposite railing of the porch, before falling into the garden Esme grew around the veranda and rolling to a stop somewhere in the middle of the yard, spilling the sand from the bag as it split. I panted heavily, leaning on my hands and knees while assessing the situation.

Emmett and Jasper was then beside me. "Holy crap, did you do that!?" Emmett laughed, clapping me on the back (softly). "Lay off the steroids, bro!"

"I… I dunno what happened," I rasped, glancing at them both before frowning. "And I am not on steroids!"

Emmett chuckled as Jasper wandered over to the stand and inspected it, before he held the chain in his pale hands, inspecting it. "This has snapped clean in two," he deduced, holding it up for me to see the two shiny pieces, glinting in the afternoon light.

I honestly had no idea what was happening, First the crash, now I can bust a punching bag clean off. Seriously, who the hell bit me in my sleep?

I walked slowly inside, still panting from my workout and grabbed the dinner Esme had set on the kitchen bench for me, mashed potatoes and sausages, before heading to the living area where Rosalie sat, flicking through the channels too fast for me to see. I saw down on one of the arm chairs and began to eat, not focusing on anything but my food. I could hardly think straight. It felt like my world was tumbling down around me.

Carlisle tried to check on me again, but I brushed him off, trying to keep my pride and wits about me. "I'm fine, Carlisle, just let me eat!" I mumbled through a mouthful of potato. He made a funny face but blurred away, leaving me and my sister alone once more. Rose gave me a funny look but resumed flicking through the TV channels.

We had always had an odd relationship. She spoiled me rotten as a baby but now we had more of a silent but sturdy friendship. We were both stubborn, pigheaded and as much as I hate to admit it, vain beyond anything. When you live in a house full of vampires, you start caring about your looks when you're standing next to perfection.

Rosalie finally stopped on something, a nature documentary, probably for my sake. I ate silently, the only sounds the television and the clinking of cutlery. But then I heard snickering from the stairwell.

"And here we have the typical human hunting," Jasper whispered in a ridiculously exaggerated documentary voice. "He seems to have found the potatoes very delectable."

Rosalie made a snorting noise while I heard Emmett's booming laugh from outside the house, so loud that the walls seemed to rumble from the noise. My blood boiled and I felt something rise in me, a surge of sudden rage. Rage like I have never felt before. Rage like I wanted to hurt, to maim, to kill. A monster rose inside me, roaring a command, and I obeyed his call.

With speed I thought I could only imagine, I snatched the knife I was eating with and flung it at Jasper. It flew through the air like an arrow being released from a bow and it struck the wall by his head, sinking deep into the wood. He hadn't moved an inch, but he was still shocked at my sudden fit of fury. Rosalie raised her eyebrow at me but I just ignored her. Even Emmett was quiet now as he returned inside to see what was going on.

I rose from the chair, the anger still boiling inside me. I have never really had a bad temper, but I feared that I was now developing one, one I didn't want or need. I dumped my plate in the sink and stalked up the staircase, walking past my brother who was watching me with alarmed eyes. He wasn't even bothering to play with my emotions.

My room was the one below Edward's and tucked in beside Alice and Jasper's closet. It was a medium sized room that was a long L-shape, painted white with large windows overlooking the porch and river, with black furnishings all around. My bed is exactly how I left it, dishevelled and the black quilt hanging off the metal frame (I kick in my sleep). Esme must have tidied up in here though, the plates I had on the desk to the right of the bed are gone and my books are in a neat pile beside the computer.

I tend to spend most of my time at home here, because this room feels more human than the rest of the house. I can watch what I like, do what I want and generally feel normal… Until I step outside the door.

But who was I kidding; I wasn't normal, at least not anymore. Anger was still bubbling in my system as I sat on the couch at the foot of my bed, kneading my forehead with my fist. What the hell was wrong with me? I have never felt like hurting my family though, even when I was pushed to my limits. I put my head in my hands and rubbed my temples, trying to think.

I needed to get to the bottom of this, sooner rather than later.


	2. Chapter 2 - Temper

**Chapter Two: Temper**

I had a weird nightmare that night. I dreamt of grotesque monsters hunting vampires in a forest, with me watching on the sidelines, unable to help as my family was torn to shreds and slaughtered.

"Run, Taylor!" Alice screamed as she was decapitated in a single slice. Jasper soon followed suit, being dragged into the bushes screaming for his life before he was snapped in half like a twig.

I tried to scream and run in to help them but I was soon grabbed by a monster, a creature that looked like a giant lizard and had piercing dark eyes. It glared at me, before its jaws opened wide in a roar and everything went black.

I woke up shaking and realised it was morning. I sighed and sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes before glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 8:30. _Aw, crap, I'm late!_ I groaned inwardly. My siblings would wait for me, of course, but they wouldn't be happy. And making vampires unhappy was not a good idea. __

I grabbed a new change of clothes from the closet, just jeans and a t-shirt, before bolting downstairs to the kitchen. I usually had coffee with some toast but right now, there was simply no time. I found my bag full of books on the stairwell and slung it on my back, just before I bolted to the pantry and grabbed a few muesli bars to munch on in the car.

"Wow, slow down!" a female voice called out to me and Alice danced down the stairs to meet me, Jasper trailing behind. I noticed the knife was still imbedded in where I had thrown it and a pang of guilt ran through me.

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked, worried. Had I done something even worse in my sleep? Talked? Screamed?

Alice laughed. "Silly Taylor. Haven't you seen what's outside yet?"

I blinked twice, before I turned and looked at the glass doors outside. Light poured in and it wasn't just early morning sun. No, it was a rare stroke of sunlight that shone outside, lighting up the yard like a spotlight.

So, like all of my family, I would stay home today. Great, just what I need. My shoulders dropped and my bag fell to the ground with a heavy thud. I sometimes wished I could go to school, because it would keep me busy, but Carlisle told me it would just prompt rumours and gossip of why little Taylor Cullen got to go to school while the rest of his family went 'camping'. And while they all went out hunting, I stayed home, bored out of my fucking mind.

"Yeah, great," I sighed, not bothering to hide the sarcastic tone that bit into my voice before I turned and stomped up the stairs. "Wake me when it's tomorrow."

I heard Jasper sigh just before I slammed the door to my room. I flopped down, belly first, on my bed, staring out the window and out at the forest sprawling out and into the horizon. The woods seemed to be always peaceful, without a care in the world. I would often go riding out there on my mountain bike, exploring and finding new trails to head down. Not today, though…

To say I resented my family would be… Extreme. I loved them, as one should love a father, mother, his brothers and sisters, but I disliked what they were. What else was I to feel when I was always weaker than them, always a source of discomfort and always a burden upon the life they had worked so hard to guard? It wasn't fair to them.

I reached for a remote beside my bed and clicked on the TV, flicking through the channels. A new report about the upcoming election, a cooking show with tomatoes and capsicums, a kid's anime with dragons and a large pink blob of fat and finally, something I could stand, a house hunting show in the country side.

"Taylor! Are you watching that crap again?!" Emmett's voice boomed through the house like a foghorn, rattling windows and making me wince. Fucking loudmouth… I rose from the bed and went to my bedroom window, throwing it open and looking down onto the yard. He and Rose stood there, a huge grin on his face. "You mad?" he chuckled, tossing a football between his hands too fast for me to see properly.

"Very," I replied dryly, before slamming the window shut, blocking out his titter of amusement. I looked back over my shoulder as I departed. He and Rose darted off into the woods, barely leaving a mark behind and then, that anger I felt bubbled inside me once more.

I calmed suddenly and I breathed easier, not bothering to blame Jasper for this one. No, I needed to relax, calm. I left the room and walked to the stairwell, before I suddenly felt Alice appear beside me.

"Edward is coming back," she said softly. "His mind is made up."

I grunted, barely a response and she cocked her head up at me. "You are not happy about this?"

Again, I had no response. I shrugged and mumbled, "Dunno. I do miss him, I suppose…"

She tapped my arm then, the faintest of touches for her but the hardest of punches for me. I winced and rubbed my limb, fixing her with a glare. "The hell?"

"He is your brother, love him like one," she replies, her brow furrowed in a half-thoughtful, half-scolding expression. "The rest of us have had a few lifetimes to deal with him but you have only one. Do not hate him."

I bristled, annoyed once more (how many times have I been angry in the last twenty-four hours?), frustrated that she was choosing me to lecture me on mortality. As if I didn't have enough to deal with!

"Yeah, well… Whatever. I have homework to do…" I muttered, moving away from her, walking downstairs now and heading into the backyard. I kept going down the stairs, going across the yard and into the forest that bordered our land. The wet leaves crunched under my bare feet and the dew drops of early morn slipped from the oaks above to land upon my forehead. I glanced up, shielding my eyes from the sun's glare and kept on going.

Forks was a wondrous place, so much green and beauty contained across a vast peninsula, surrounded by snow-kissed mountains. Around out property, pines and oaks stretched high, untouched by humankind and left to their own desires. The forest floor was a twisted place of roots and fallen logs, the occasional pond here and there, and a few long lost trails winding through the greenery.

It was a place of relaxation and peace, something I sorely need at this moment. I often came out here to partake in my own desires, to seek quiet in a house that was already as silent as a crypt. Perhaps I should start hanging out in Carlisle's morgue instead. I laughed silently at my joke and then caught myself, frowning. That was awful, even for my tastes.

Approaching a fallen log, I wound my hand around the end of a long-broken branch and hauled myself up, feeling moss under my other hand and I gripped the knots of the wood with my nails. I sat there, feeling my jeans become damp and watching the forest. In the distance, a deer bleated and a squirrel raced across the ground.

Out here it was easy to be alone. I let my thoughts wander as I leaned back against the trunk of the great log, becoming calm and yet… I still felt uneasy. A few birds flew overhead as I drifted off, my eyes dropping close.

I thought of my family, their faces appearing in my mind. First, Carlisle… So patient and kind, and Esme was even more so. I loved her so much, for it was her who found me on the doorstep of the doctor surgery where my father worked. She never explained why she took me home, only that she felt connected.

When I was a baby, Rosalie dotted on me. Forever wanting a family, she was happy to have a child to play with. I barley remember her caring for me, however, only to turn me over to 'my parents' whenever I cried loudly. Apparently I hated being held by her… I chuckled at that thought. Emmett was a big brother, willing to lay on the ground and play with whatever toys I was obsessed with that week.

But Jasper was different. The weakest link, as he was, he spent little time around me growing up. A good thing, perhaps, but it also meant Alice was never present either. Still, as I aged, they came back into my life and we became closer, the little pixie becoming a guardian angel of sorts and Jazz becoming a brother.

And Edward… Oh boy, where do I start?

Well, I never got a chance to think, for I felt something cold touch my hand suddenly. Eyes snapping open, I yelped and fell backwards off the log onto the ground, landing on my stomach in mud and leaves. I looked up and frowned.

 _Speak of the fucking devil._

"Well, that's just rude…" Edward chuckled from his position near my previous perch, ducking under the log and offering me a cold, pale hand. "Hello, Taylor."

"Hey Ed," I murmured, taking his offer of help and getting to my feet. I had no blood pouring but my hands were scraped slightly. I brushed dirt off my shirt and look to him. "You're back?"

He smiled like the smug bastard he is. Ah, I would never get used to having him in my head. _Jackass._

He chuckled once more and turned, walking back towards the house. I followed, jogging after him as he walked slowly, for my sake.

"How was your trip?" I asked casually as I caught up to him. His hands were deep in his pockets and he had a serious expression upon his face. "You head up to Alaska?"

"Fine and yes," he responded, turning his face towards mine. "But… Well, I shouldn't say."

He knew I hated listening to all of the vampire stuff. Part of me wished I had a normal family, with big brothers who didn't want to kill me and sisters without mythical powers. But I would never regret the life I had come into. Better than any foster home or orphanage at least. As long as I was kept out of it, it didn't bother me. Or, so I thought. Curiosity tugged at me and I directed a question at Edward. _You… You almost lost it, didn't you?_

He glanced my way, analysing me, before he nodded. "Yes."

My eyebrows raised. _So you ran away? To protect… Her._

"To protect all of us!" he hissed then and I stopped, letting him go a few feet in front of me before he turned to gaze at me. I remained calm, watching him closely but I was unable to read his expression. He noticed this. "I am sorry, but… I cannot condemn risking a human's life for the sake of my family."

I smiled slightly. _Sure about that? What was I then, asshole?_

Edward seemed to relax and he laughed quietly. "You are family, Taylor. You know this as well as any."

After that, only silence graced the woods. He walked by me at human speed and I noted that I went into the woods deeper then I had originally thought. By the time I could see the house, it was near midday and Edward's skin was glimmering as we walked through sun patches. I knew it pained him to be so slow, but regardless, he kept pace.

As we broke through the final tree line to the yard, a sudden yell startled me. Edward breezed forward, appearing a few feet from where he stood in half-a-second and Emmett barrelled into him, their bodies cracking like two boulders smashing together. Jasper appeared next, his handsome face broken into a smile as joined the fray of the two brothers rolling around the yard, Emmett hooting as he hugged Edward. Esme was on the porch, beaming, Carlisle with his arms around her and laughing. Rose looked sullen but a hint of pleasure was in her eyes. Alice leant against the railing, waiting for the boys to finish.

Yet, despite all this, I couldn't feel happy. This joyful family bullshit, it was hardly real! Along with that, I felt extremely hot, maybe dehydrated? I skidded the edge of the yard, avoiding the wrestling match and the eyes of my family before I headed inside. I bounded up the steps and into the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and gulping it down, before refilling it, only to drink it down and then consume yet another.

Sweat was on my forehead and I leaned against the sink, pressing my head onto the cold metal, the tap still pouring water onto my skull. It was refreshing but barely so.

A hand pressed against my shoulder and then it moved to my forehead, cooling it with their touch. I heard Esme speak, calling to my father. "He's burning up, Carlisle."

"Eh?" I mumbled as she lifted me, taking me to the couch in the living room and setting me down. I hadn't felt this shit since I had food poisoning when I was ten and Emmett 'cooked' me dinner. I cracked open an eyelid to see Carlisle above me, a calm look in his eyes and his long, cold fingers lightly touching my forehead. I shuddered at the touch.

"Sore?" he asked as I shifted away and his question was answered. "I see… You have a horrible fever. Esme... Can you fetch a bucket with a wet rag? Alice, some aspirin and water for him to drink?"

A second later, the rag was against my head and a glass pressed against my lips. I barely had my eyes open but worry was upon Alice and Esme's faces. "Is he dehydrated? What's wrong? Alice, what can you see?" Esme whispered, her lips barley moving.

My sister's face went blank, her eyes unmoving as she gazed ahead. Her gift was the ability to see visions of the future, whether she wanted to or not. Her eyes flickered and her face leant down close to mine, inhaling my scent. I froze, her lips upon my throat and I could feel her icy breath upon my skin. Never had she gotten this close to my throat before.

I was scared, but I was also angry. A curse slipped from my lips as I put my hand against her head and pushed her away – Or attempted to at least. Of course, she didn't budge but it didn't stop me from trying! "Get off me, Alice!" I snarled, still pushing helplessly.

She pulled back, frowning. "I was smelling your scent, trying to tell if you were plagued with sickness. But instead, I see only a foggy future for you, Taylor."

Even while feeling like I was going to throw up, I spat venom. "Yeah, well, I didn't ask you too! I'm just dehydrated! Keep out of my future, all of you!"

"Taylor, relax," Carlisle ordered, touching me gently on the shoulder.

"Leave me alone!" I got to my feet, unsteady, and bolted for the stairs, flying up them two at a time and crashing into my bathroom, shoving the door aside and cracking the plaster behind it. I barely made it to the sink before I was sick, coughing and spluttering. The anger still resided in me, bursting like a volcano into my mid, and the thought of it made me feel even worse. I had never yelled like that at my family, not to Esme, Carlisle or even Rosalie!

I felt myself slipping and I collapsed, my world going black.


	3. Chapter 3 - Dreams

**Chapter 3: Dreams**

I awoke the next day, tucked into my bed and a cool rag across my face. I grimaced as the water dripped down into my eyes, before I pulled away and tossed the cloth into the bucket beside me.

The TV was on at a very low volume, infomercials playing and showing a few ridiculous looking products. Stretching, I turned it off before I glanced around the room. Alice was perched in the corner upon my desk chair, eyes closed but listening, looking like a carved ivory stature. I simply stared at her, my mouth forming a thin line.

Her eyes opened and she looked to me, bright gold meeting grey. "You're awake a bit early, brother," she said in a soft voice. "The day will be dreary, rainy. You should prepare a jacket."

I could only nod in response, my jaw tight. She had stayed here, cared for me, yet I was a complete and utter asshole! I opened my mouth to speak, but she simply smiled and cut me off. "It's fine. Fevers make humans into irritable creatures."

"I…"

"It's fine," she merely insisted, now rising and taking my hand, wrapping her fingers around mine and taking me downstairs. It was early, but not too early for me to run back and hide in bed. With a light push, she guided me to the pantry and I fetched breakfast, 'hunting' cereal and a glass of juice.

My sister perched herself on the bench, watching as I slowly spooned food into my mouth. Her nose twitched as she spoke. "That smells foul. Tasteless."

I shrugged, used to this response, and we got ready for school, Alice briefly leaving me to flit downstairs and join the others outside. A sudden snowfall welcomed us in the night, coating everything in a glistening coat of white. As I changed clothes and searched for my books, I heard Edward grumbling as Emmett and Jasper pounded him with snowballs, and when he ignored them, they turned on each other instead, the sound of their granite skin reflecting the ice echoing through the house.

We arrived at school on time, packed into the Volvo like sardines. As soon as I was free from being stuck between Edward and the door, I headed straight to Trig in the east building. No one joined me there, Alice and Edward met for Calculus instead and left me alone with my thoughts.

I kept my head down, focusing on my work and staying out of sight, out of mind. When Ms Crandall called on me, I answered as best as I could and prayed she would move on. The teachers didn't bother me when I was alone, the off-putting presence of my family still lingering about.

English followed afterwards and I was paired with my siblings once more with Alice and Edward joining me now. While they had the capacity to not listen to our studies, I was forced to pay attention, jotting down notes as the lesson dragged on and on… We were studying Hamlet, which I had not read so it was a little more interesting than normal.

Edward and Alice were whispering, too low for anyone to hear but I. Their lips were a blur to me, moving and speaking too quickly for any others to pick up. I ignored them, shifting my attention to eye the projector and yawn, a little too loudly perhaps. Mr Liddle shot me a dirty look as I did so.

As the bell rang, my siblings were up quicker then all others and strode out of the room, not bothering to wait for me. I dallied, slowly packing my books away as my peers grumbled about our latest homework assignment – Discuss and elaborate on relationships within Shakespeare's plays and how they affected our society today. Easy one, for me at least. I studied the unit with Esme in Alaska through homeschooling.

I barely noticed myself falling behind Rosalie and Emmett, who were behind my other siblings as they made their way into the cafeteria. My oldest brother held Alice's elbow lightly as he guided her in first, Edward tailing behind them. He was muttering to them, looking very haughty. He was annoyed – Good. Means I won't be the centre of attention today. He shot his head back towards me as he caught that last thought and I grinned. His eyes narrowed but he said nothing.

"She's not here yet, but the way she's going to come in… She won't be downwind if we sit in our regular spot," I heard Alice murmur to the others.

Edward grumbled a snarky response. " _Of course_ we'll sit in our regular spot. Stop it, Alice, you're getting on my nerves. I'll be absolutely fine."

"Hm, I think you are right…" Alice finally assessed, settling into a chair beside Jasper.

As I settled into my normal spot between Alice and Edward, I couldn't help but grin wide, slightly amused at the display. Jasper must have had the same thought because Edward turned his head to grimace at my brother, before doing the same to me. _Sorry bro, you are the baby this time around!_

Food wasn't on my mind and I merely watched my siblings silently, my arms folded across my chest and my mind wandering. It was almost ironic, really, for both Emmett and Jasper had full trays in front of them while the human had none. If I had any humour left in me, I would have laughed.

As I glanced over my shoulder to gaze at the students in the cafeteria, worry crossed my mind. If Edward had been forced to retreat to Alaska, then how would my other siblings function? Jasper was the weakest of them all, still learning and new to the life of interacting with humans, so he was the biggest threat in my mind.

There was a thump in my chair and Edward has pushed it lightly, giving me another pointed gaze. I knew the others heard it but it was promptly ignored by all.

"Anything new?" Jasper asked, turning his head to look to Edward with his honey eyes.

"Nothing," Edward replied, before pausing. "She… She must not have said anything."

Everyone at the table stared and raised their eyebrows, staring at Edward. More worry crossed my mind before I felt Jasper's calming presence prod at my emotions, calming me almost instantly.

Emmett was the first to speak, laughing quietly. "Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are."

Edward only grumbled in response as he rolled his eyes towards our bear of a brother.

"Wonder why…?" He trailed off, wondering silently about Bella's silence about Edward. If she was like other girls my age, gossip would have spread through them quicker than wildfire.

I had to correct myself there. We knew she wasn't like the other students here, more like us really. Outsiders, newcomers, unwelcome and unwanted. But unlike us, she was more accepted and fawned over like a new toy to the males, seen as competition to the girls. Even I wasn't welcomed like this, I was branded a nobody, the ugly Cullen and dismissed amongst my peers.

Ah, the woes of being a vampire's child.

"She's coming in," Alice murmured. "Try to look human." _Ah, finally, a challenge!_ I thought to myself, watching Edward go stiff and the others tense up in response to our brother's mood.

"Human, you say?" mused Emmett, a child-like grin forming upon his face. With a quick flick of his fingers, he managed to hurl what I could only assume was a snowball at Alice. Of course, she saw this and in turn batted it away. A crack came from the wall on the far side of the cafeteria and I turned to stare at it, like all the other students in the room were doing. A group of juniors closest to the wall were getting the blame for the mess, all protesting in disbelief. I could only smile slightly.

"Very human, Emmett," Rosalie snarled under her breath, chastising the man-child. "Why don't you punch through the wall while you are at it?"

"Be more impressive if you did it, baby."

I gagged, making a sarcastic eye roll while I did so at them. Edward grinned at me but his eyes were elsewhere. Alice elbowed him and gave him a pointed gaze, a silent message only he knew. The bond between those two was strange but understandable. One a mind reader, the other a fortune teller. Who else could understand their plight but each other?

"Ease up, Edward," Emmett said to him, speaking in a calm and soothing voice. "Honestly. So you kill one human. That's hardly the end of the world."

I bristled and gave him the most annoyed stare I could muster. It was ignored and Edward only mumbled back a reply. "You would know."

Emmett laughed. "You're got to learn to get over things. Like I do. An eternity is a long time to wallow in guilt."

My teeth clenched and I opened my mouth to snap at his callous words, but I was silenced by the sight of Alice tossing a handful of ice right into Emmett's open and unsuspecting mouth. He spluttered and then grinned, before leaning forward. "You asked for it!" And thus, he shook his ice incrusted hair, sending droplets of freezing water all over us.

"Ew!" cried Rosalie as her and Alice recoiled from the slush. I merely held my tray up as a shield, Alice joining me behind it soon after, and soon we were all laughing.

This would have been a perfect moment, if I wasn't still pissed at Emmett.

As the hour passed on, I kept a steady eye on Edward. Twice I caught him staring and had to motion to Jasper to kick his leg. He did not speak to us, but who knows what he was listening it to. I steeled a glanced towards the table he was fixated on, watching the Swan girl for a brief second. She was pretty, yes, but no different from any other girl in school.

The bell sounded but no one moved. They were all gazing at Edward, watching his still form with anticipation. I leant my chin on my knuckle, listening to the others speak briefly.

"I... _think_ it's okay," Alice eventually admitted, turning to face Edward. "Your mind is set. I _think_ you'll make it through the hour."

My brother simply gazed at her, a silent conversation being spoken between them. Jasper interjected then, a slightly smug grin on his face. "Why push it, Edward? Go home, take it slow."

"What's the big deal?" Emmett argued back. "Either he will or he won't kill her. Might as well get it over either way."

Rosalie groaned. "I don't want to move yet. I don't want to start over. We're almost out of high school, Emmett. Finally."

That was enough. "And what about me?" I snapped. "I like living here. And I can't end my studies because of an 'accident'!"

A hand touched my shoulder and I looked to see it was Edward, firmly, but also gently, squeezing my limb with a strange look in his eyes. Concern, pity, an apology? All three perhaps. But it did little to quell my mood.

"Rose, Tay," Alice spoke then, her eyes firmly closed and her fingers resting on her temples. "No, I think it'll really be okay. It's… firming up." She paused and glanced towards us quickly, still with that far off glassy look in her eyes. "I'm 93% sure nothing bad will happen if he goes to class."

My shoulder was released and Edward pushed back from the table, making his chair scrape. "Go to class," he ordered, before turning and leaving without another word… Stubborn jerk.

Alice rose then, moving to dump her uneaten tray and turned to glance at me with a pointed gaze. My feet moved of their own accord, following after her as the others departed to their own classes. Edward, biology. Emmett and Alice, physical education. Rosalie and Jasper, home economics. The thought of all of them in seemingly normal classes amused me, from Emmett and Alice holding back in whatever sport they were playing, to Rose and Jasper attempting to cook. As for Edward...

I just hoped I would see him amber eyed when we were done.

Little was spoken between us during gym. A game of dodgeball was played and I was covered in bruises, thanks to some of the jocks of the opposite team, Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley among them. Alice spent most of the match hiding behind Emmett and the rest of the team cowering behind her as my big brother's bulk gave us a quite distinct shield. After being outed by Mike, I took another to the head and sat out for the rest of the match, feeling woozy and quite temperamental.

Bella was there and she was alive, to my relief. We spoke little, being on opposite teams, but she hid behind the others, much like I was doing. As the class came to a close, Coach Clapp allowed those who were too sore to continue to sit on the sidelines. I was the only boy, the rest was Bella and some other girls.

"You're Taylor, right?" A voice caught my attention to the left and I glanced up to see Isabella Swan standing there, a slight smile on her face. I nodded and then shifted on the bench I found myself on, gesturing for her to sit by me.

"The one and only," I replied in a dry voice, wondering why the hell she was speaking to me. But as she sat down and said no more, I realised my siblings were staring. "Don't mind them, they're not used to me making friends," I informed her, raising my middle finger at Emmett and Alice.

Bella seemed to laugh slightly and then turned her head to face me. "I was just wondering… If I could ask if…"

"If my brother is always an asshole with a superiority complex and mood swings worse than a teenage girl?" Her eyebrows went together, furrowing as she frowned, and my smile dropped. "Not the question?"

"Well, yes and no…" Her face remained blank. "Edward mentioned you were close…" _He did, did he?_ "And I was hoping you could shed some light on why..." she trailed off, leaving the question in the air. And I don't have a clue on how to answer.

"Um…" I started, fumbling for words. "Ed is not a bad guy. Just has dealt with a lot in his short time, I guess. And he doesn't know how to talk to girls… At all." I added on, knowing Edward would drain me dry if I talked any smack about him.

"Oh." The statement hung in the air like a bad smell before dispersing. I offered a half-smile as reassurance. "Thanks, I guess?" she then finished, looking slightly relieved, before glancing back to the gym floor. The game had finished, Emmett and Alice both walking towards us while Bella's team celebrated their 'victory'.

I merely nodded at my siblings before looking back to Bella. "You're welcome. Hey, I'll see you around." I stood and made my way to the boy's change room. Emmett followed and stood by me as I pulled my clothes back on.

"So…" Emmett started, a grin on his face.

"Don't."

"Come on, don't what?"

"Don't even start," I told my brother, poking his rock hard chest. "She asked, I lied, and all is well."

Em merely frowned. "You didn't see him in Spanish, Taylor." He glanced around us, lowering his voice more. "He's a mess, never seen him like this. Look, I know you know, but just… Keep it easy on him. You don't know how it is with us."

I couldn't reply to that statement, merely giving him a glare, and stormed out of the change room and making my way out of school as the bell sounded. My thoughts were so busy with Edward and thinking over what my pig-headed brother had said. Don't know what it's like? Please, I have had more close calls with my family then I can count. I scrapped my knee with I was ten and Jasper tried to eat me. Fell out a tree and broke my arm with I was nine and Rosalie almost turned me into dinner when she tried to set the bone back.

One could say I was scared of what when would the next time be, when it wasn't Jasper or Rose, or if it was Carlisle or Alice who decided I looked better as a blood bag then a human being. But I suppose it wouldn't matter…

I barely noticed getting into the car until Edward shook my shoulder. "Taylor? Taylor!" I had to snap back to reality, covering my ears as my brother's loud and violent music hit my ears, forcing him to turn it right down. I merely stared at him, my jaw set and eyes firmly on his.

"I'm fine, just get me to work," I merely snarled, watching his own face scan mine. I put the thought of Bella and Emmett firmly out of my mind, closing my eyes and leaning back in the front seat to rest calmly. I heard the car doors open and the others hop in, Edward speaking in a low tone to the others. I didn't open my eyes until we pulled up outside Forks General, the local hospital where Carlisle worked.

"See you," I said to them, grabbing my bag and walking into the building. After school every second day, I would work a five hour shift as Carlisle's secretary and record-keeper.

He met me in the foyer, nodding at me in greeting. "How was school, Taylor?" The questioned sounded so innocent, yet a deeper meaning lingered.

My expression told him everything and we walked silently towards his office, greeting a few other nurse and doctors as we passed. Once we were in the room, the door firmly shut, I began to speak. "School was… Uneventful."

"But…?" Carlisle asked as he sat down beside his desk, sliding a mug of tea across to me. His own was in front of him, half-filled, to give an illusion to anyone else who entered.

I sipped the beverage, warming my belly. "Who said there was a but, father?" I laughed dryly, swirling the tea around.

"There always is a but with you, Taylor." My father smiled. "'Taylor is a brilliant student, but he is always looking for ways to cut class time in half, mostly by illogical questions that lead to no true answer,'" he quoted my sixth grade school teacher perfectly.

I sighed. "It's just the others. I know I am not… Not like you, but my problems are not to be dismissed. I… I can't just stop feeling so angry at everyone!" I hissed out, my voice raising with each word spoken.

A hand touched my shoulder and it was Carlisle, now beside me. Despite his cold touch, it was reassuring and caring, just like always. "It's just teenage hormones, son," he said softly. "You'll grow out of it, I am sure."

He didn't sound too sure to me. Was there worry in his eyes? It was impossible to tell with the golden sheen to them, but I couldn't ignore his advice. A doctor, father and century-old vampire. I would be a fool not to.

"Regardless," he then continued. "I will speak to the others to remind them that you, like them long ago, are only human. And that is not something to be afraid of, it is what make you different to us and rightly so." His smile grew and his other hand clapped my alternate shoulder. "Now, you have a shift to do, my boy."

I only nodded in response before rising and making my way towards the door, before stopping and looking back to him. "Thanks, dad."

Carlisle only dipped his head and waved me off, to which I walked away and down into the offices of the hospital, ready to make my mark on this world…


	4. Chapter 4 - The Beast Within

**Chapter Four: The Beast Within**

It was past eight by the time Carlisle and I returned home from the hospital, with me shadowing him for the majority of the shift while he did his rounds and noting every detail of it. When all was done, we attended a house call and were on our way home, however, something else had joined us…

"Your mother is going to kill me," Carlisle groaned as we zoomed home in the Mercedes, to which I only grinned at him, holding a rattling box in my arms. The house call had been to one of the doc's old friend's, an elderly farmer. Lo and behold, his dog had run off with another and thus, I took one of the bundles of joy for my own, after much begging and pleading with Carlisle to let me keep just one. What can I say, I'm a sucker for cute animals.

"Ah, how can she resist this little face?!" I merely replied, pulling Titan, the black and gold mutt, from the box and cuddling him close to me. The puppy squirmed around and then seemed to yip in response. I only knew him a shepard mix, but regardless, I was already in loved.

My father chuckled and before long, we had pulled into driveway, heading around to the back garage. I saw Rosalie before I heard her shriek of disgust; and she blurred into existence before me, her beautiful face contorted into something quite ugly. I flinched out of habit, it was always surprising to see someone suddenly be beside you when they were, well, not meant to be there.

"You. Got. A. Dog?!" she hissed, both at me and Carlisle, her fury directed at him more so then I. "We agreed that no animals were to be in this house!"

Carlisle's brow furrowed at her attitude and he gave her a pointed glare. "A patient needed homes for him and his littermates, so I agree to let one, just one, be here. And Taylor needs to finally learn some responsibility."

 _Wait, what? Dad, really?_ That was a low blow. I opened my mouth to protest but Carlisle held up a hand, making me fall silent, and then we were walking, his hand on my back and guiding me towards the house. "Taylor, get the dog settled in the downstairs bathroom."

With a swift nod, I followed his directions. Titan easy to settle, laying on the newspaper I placed on the floor and waiting there with a cocked head. But he didn't remain, padding out after me as I went to squeeze the door closed and followed me every step of the way to the living area.

The whole family was there. Carlisle was smiling, Esme too. Rosalie was with Emmett, looking sullen, but silent. Alice immediately came to me and lifted the animal in her arms, looking amazed. "Oh, he's a cutie!" she laughed, before palming him back to me. "You named her Titan?"

"Is that even a question?" I responded with a smile, settling on the lounge and letting the puppy rest on the floor. "Wait, Titan is a girl?" I stared at the puppy and realised that my sister was correct to my sheer embarrassment.

Titan trotted around, sniffing at everything and everyone, no fear whatsoever for the immortal creatures. Esme laid down some ground rules for us all regarding our new family member – She was my responsibility, first and foremost, and if there was a problem regarding my care, she was to be told. Food, vet bills and care was to come from the money I earned working at the hospital with Carlisle. And no one was to hurt him in any shape, way or form. I swear I saw Jasper curl his lip up at this but it must have been my imagination.

Rosalie still looked annoyed, but I dismissed it quickly. Edward smiled at me as I left the room, Titan trailing after me with big goofy steps. We spent the evening in my room, him sniffing and exploring while I studied at my desk, looking over school work and switching between tabs on my computer. Losing track of time was easy and before long, I had retired to bed. Titan was meant to sleep in the laundry but… Well, I forgot and she instead spent the night curled up beside me.

Morning came and I met my siblings in the main living area, silence greeting me and the car ride was equally as quiet. I would say it was like a crypt or a morgue, but I didn't want Edward to overhear and call me an idiot. I saw him smirk as this thought crossed my mind, but no comments came from his mouth. Good.

Alice was equally quiet, sitting with Jasper in the back and lost in thought. I glanced back and saw her looking far away, her lover holding her hand and not saying a word. I was confused and could only wonder what she has seen now in that head of hers.

"Pay no mind…" Edward murmured to me, catching my attention back to him. His hands were clenched around the steering wheel tightly, his jaw set in a way I have seen many times before when he was annoyed, concerned or simply being… Well, Edward. I merely gazed blankly at him, now feeling those things myself in the pit of my stomach.

I didn't press further, turning to unclip my seatbelt as we rolled to a stop in the car park of Fork High and exiting the car. Alice remained seated for a second and once again, I turned to watch her carefully, hovering by the back door. Eventually, she came to stand by me and she rested her small hands on my own. "Everything is alright," she said softly, looking up at me with a half-smile on her face."I promise, Tay."

Her words didn't settle my nerves as much as it normally would. There was an edge of change in the air, something that wasn't quite right in the world. I didn't like being kept in the dark about my family's problems and woes. We shared everything, no matter what it was. I consoled Esme when Rose and Edward fought, Alice helped me with homework, Emmett and Jasper battled wits and video game high scores. We were truly a group of rabid misfits, even myself. The only thing I was forbidden to know of was their hunting patterns.

That was to say, I wasn't completely aware of what they did during the rare bright sunny days or more commonly, during the late evening. Jasper once took me to the hunting paths, showing me where they ran and killed. Carlisle was furious when he found out through Edward, but I knew Jaz meant no harm. It wasn't to scare or taunt me, but a warning, a message… Stay away.

Still, it was a little overwhelming, especially to a ten year old…

I look for Edward and he was looking towards Bella Swan, his face curious but then it changed to one of fear and shock. He spun to face Alice and I heard her gasp a single word.

"NO!"

And then the worst possible thing happened. Tyler Crowley's huge burgundy van came around the corner and hit the icy road at the worst possible angle, spinning out of control and straight towards Bella Swan's truck as the woman herself stood there, shock on her face. She couldn't react, I couldn't, nor could anyone else! Anyone else… Human.

I heard the crunch before I saw the scene. Another sickening sound ripped through the air, chilling me to my core, and I shut my eyes. A hand grabbed mine and someone tugged me back, as I heard glass shatter and then… Silence.

Didn't stay that way for long though. I heard students screaming, crying out various names. Tyler's, Bella's and… EDWARD'S?! My head jolted up, eyes snapping open and I could only watch in horror as I saw my brother's head rise above the back of Bella's truck. Tyler himself was trying to stumble from the driver's seat, but was jammed tight. Blood poured from a head wound and I saw Jasper stiffen out of the corner of my eyes.

It was in that moment that I realised what Edward had done. What he had risked. And what was to be once everything came to fruition.

Exposure. And all over a girl he wanted to kill.

"Edward, Edward!" Alice yelled over the commotion but it was no use. Students were in full action mode, crowding around Tyler's van and trying to pry it away from the truck. I recognised several teachers rush down to contain the scene and ambulances were on the way, their piercing sirens joining the circle of noise around me. It was too much, ugh, my head was beginning to pound!

"I need to… Go…" I mumbled and turned away, ready to escape the scene by fleeing into my homeroom. I didn't want to see this, hear this or be a part of the problems my stupid brother had created! This was his fault, not mine!

I heard my siblings call out but I ignored them and there was no way they could chase me without causing a huge scene in a… Well, even bigger scene. As I ascending the steps, I saw the trio of casualties, Edward, Bella and Tyler, be loaded into the ambulance. I scowled, still fuming about what the consequences of this action would be. And yet, I knew I would not find out for quite some time…

~~

The day passed by slower than usual and I found myself more… Popular than usual. The students were buzzing about the accident, it being the most exciting thing to happen in months, and I found myself being pestered for answers and results. Angela, a girl I knew from my Government class, came to ask for results on Bella. I stumbled over my words as I told her I knew nothing, too numb to really give any more depth. By the time the school day ended, at least eight people had approached me alone and asked for details and made small talk. It was nice, in fact. I didn't feel like so much of an outcast anymore…

That was to change soon. I knew it had to. Emmett and Edward met from Spanish after I finished in the band room and both were silent, imposing. No one came to me now, with my bigger, older and scarier brothers by my side. Edward was looking like he always did, in pain and constipated, while Emmett had his brow furrowed. The silence remained as we got into the car. Rosalie was scowling, Jasper looking like he was gritting his teeth. The only one who smiled even lightly was Alice, reaching to touch my hand.

I was worried too. My family had to move once, when I was younger, because of an accident, but ever since I was 12, we had stayed in Forks. It was home to me now, I loved the environment, the freedom, the untouched wilderness... I couldn't leave now.

When we pulled in, the family went straight to my dining room… Yes, I say mine because they didn't use it for its intended purpose (I hope). Dad was home from the hospital, sitting at the head and Mom was there too, holding his hand. And under the table was Titan, chewing on a toy. As I walked into the room, both of my parents smiled at me, Esme more so than usual. It had taken much begging to get her to watch my puppy while I was at school but how could she say no to her face? Titan ran to my feet and began to whine and yip, wagging his fluffy table excitedly. "Hey little one," I greeted before picking her up and scratching behind those giant ears.

The rest of my family took their seats. They all looked so… Imposing. Lines were being drawn, I suppose, like a standoff between two opposing generals in a war. Rosalie looked ready to murder someone. Jasper was… On guard. Alice was searching the future. Emmett looked conflicted. And Edward…

"I'm sorry," he began, gazing at Rose with those golden orbs of his, before shifting his gaze to all of us. "I didn't mean to out any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action."

Rosalie glared. "What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'?" she demanded. "Are you going to fix it?"

"Not in the way you mean," Edward responded, his voice calm and even. "I'm willing to leave now, if it makes things better."

Esme shook her head. "No…"

He patted her hand in a loving matter. "It's just a few years."

Now Emmett interjected, his boyish face filled with concern. "Esme's right thought. You can't go anywhere now. That'll be the _opposite_ of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."

My father shook his head. "I think Emmett is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us leave."

And thus, the family continued to bicker back and forth, each of them throwing their own opinions about what Edward needed to do. It was a hard conversation to follow and I lost track of it all soon enough, until Rosalie's hand slammed down onto the table. It made me jump and Titan escaped the room soon enough, tail between her legs and whimpering.

"We can't allow the humans to say anything," Rosalie snarled, true venom in her voice. "Carlisle, you _must_ see that! Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind - You know that there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else."

"We left rumours behind before, Rosalie," Edward reminded her.

"Just rumours and suspicion, Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!"

My brother scoffed at her response and Carlisle held up his hand to bring silence to the table. "Rose-"

The silence didn't last. Rosale cut him off quickly. "Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked." She shrugged and I could feel my blood boiling. "Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would makes it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I am capable of control. You know I leave no evidence behind."

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient of an assassin you are," Edward hissed at her and she hissed back. My eyes narrowed. They were talking… Of killing Bella Swan! My hand balled into a fist under the table and I saw Jasper glance towards me.

"Edward, please," Carlisle started but I couldn't take it anymore. My fist came down on the table with an almighty slam.

"You are talking about killing an innocent girl!" I spat at Rosalie. "You all claim you are better than the others but you… You're monsters!" The words came from my lips like pure venom. Bile was rising in my throat, rage building. I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

Edward stood then. "Taylor, calm down."

My eyes shifted to him and now I focused my words on him. "And you! This isn't just about you, Edward. This is my home, my family! Why must you have to ruin the one chance at being normal! All because you weren't man enough to stay away!"

Everyone's eyes were on me. I've never seen Jasper look so stunned, or Carlisle so disappointed but I didn't care. They supported this wanted to kill this child for simply being rescued by my dumbass brother.

My words were true then. They were all monsters. I felt a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it away roughly and turned away, moving towards the door.

"Taylor…" Alice whispered. "Don't say-"

A sharp breath escaped my lips and I clenched the doorknob tightly, feeling the metal dig into my hand. The next words to escape my lips did not feel like my own, yet I said them anyway, "Leave me alone. I wish… I wish you had never found me!"

The door slammed behind me as I stormed out but then there was a sickening CRACK, followed by a heavy thud. My head turned, wondering if Emmett had punched a hole in the wall, but my eyes bulged at the sight of one of our dining doors now laying cracked and broken upon the ground. I could see Esme's expression out of the corner of my eye - I had broken her heart and now also one of the doors she had spent time restoring… I had ripped it right off the hinges wit my slam.

A growl rumbled through my throat. This was beyond me now, beyond any of us. Rosalie wanted to kill my classmate, a human, and they expected me to _agree?!_ I couldn't, I wouldn't!

I ran. I ran like a coward. I crossed the yard in huge strides, my chest heaving from the effort, and ran into the woods. I knew my family could catch me in an instant but I kept running. My feet were sore, my muscles aching but I kept going. Roots threatened to trip me up and twigs keep whipping my face. Hot tears were streaming down my face, anger and rage bubbling before the most unexpected of things came up under my feet.

"Ack!"

A rock tripped me over and I was sent down a muddy bank, landing face first in the dirt. But that wasn't the most unexpected thing. Oh no. As I lay there, crying and hurt, I felt the monster inside me rear its head and grip my heart in a tight grasp. A scream escaped my lungs as I tried to escape, but it was no use. Something was happening, something was coming.

The monster took over.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Hunt

**Chapter Five: The Hunt**

 _Run._

 _Hunt._

 _Kill._

 _Run._

 _Hunt._

 _Kill._

I couldn't fight instinct. It was too difficult, too hard. The thoughts racing through my head were as clear as crystal, like a bright neon sign glaring right into my eyes. A vicious-sounding noise rumbled through my throat… A growl? It felt slightly odd to me, but also very right, like it was always what I was meant to do.

What was I? I didn't know, but then I realised I was changing into something more. I was running through the forest, faster than I could ever before. The green I knew so well was flying away, melting away and as I watched my feet, I could see claws gripping deep into the earth and huge strides kicking up dirt behind me. Paws, like a wolf's, but with claws as dark as night and thick scales, the same emerald green as the woods around me.

My breath was hot and my chest heaved with the effort of running, but I was not exhausted, no, not by a long short. New scents and sounds were around me, my senses were in overdrive as I struggled to comprehend them and adjust to my new form. My head, large and built like a alligator's, legs, long, strong and muscled, a thick tail… Holy shit, a tail?

But I didn't have time to dwell. I kept going, bounding across the land, in a subconscious mission to just… Run. I didn't know what I was, a monster, a beast, or something else entirely? In my head, all I could feel was the drive, the push, the _need_ to hunt. And so, I did. Forcing myself to just run. My throat was burning, hungry. So hungry! I was starving, but what to eat?

Something flashed to my right and before I could react, I was on top of a wild deer. I should have been disgusted at my instincts, but instead, relief flooded my senses as I came down onto its back and bit down hard on the back of the animal's neck. Barely a gasp of pain came from it's throat before it was crushed beneath my feet. Crimson painted the ground red. I ripped into the flesh, swallowing huge strips of meat greedily. Food! It wasn't quite right, tasting quite odd, but it sated me, for now at least...

So many questions and no answers, but I didn't care. I kept sprinting forward before I came to a wide river with a steep bank. Recognition came, but my mind was foggy, unsure. Not stopping my steps, it was no barrier to me as I simply leapt over it in a single smooth bound. My claws dug into the dirt upon the opposite bank and I was moving faster than ever as I came towards a empty space in the forest.

It was right there when I realised where I was going, what I was doing. What I was following was my instincts, my need to hunt. A huge house was before me in the clearing and a myriad of smells came to me - Ash, dirt, blood, life… And also death, the thick, muggy scent of death. What I craved was not alive, no, but it's what I wanted. I needed it, I needed to eat!

A vicious roar broke from my maw and I sprung forward, heading towards the house. But before I could smash through the glass door like a battering ram, something grappled my neck from behind and I was forced into the ground by something very heavy and strong. Pain shot through my body, my hips suddenly throbbing and collapsing beneath me.

A vicious roar broke from my throat and with strength I didn't know I had, my muscles coiled and bucked, throwing my weight up and shuddering with sheer adrenaline. My gaze turned towards the figure which sprawled behind me, a big man with curly hair and pale skin. He was staring at me, golden eyes narrowed in a glare. But there was a slight smirk to his expression, as if he was challenging me, and he leapt to his feet and shifted into a fighting stance.

"Emmett!" A voice yelled from near the man, another with golden eyes and hair coming to him, his body lean and fit. "What the hell is that?!"

I snarled and jumped forward again, lifting my head to snap my teeth at the man's face. He jerked back and his palm shot forward, connecting with my neck. It hurt, and I felt my muscles ripple and firm. I stumbled back, my claws digging into the dirt and I spat blood down on the ground from my lips.

Five or six of the pale figures were around me, still seeming slightly familiar but my brain was still too foggy to comprehend anything right now. The big one was in my face, shooting forward like a bullet to try and grab my neck again. A blonde and tall woman was on my other side, hissing wildly and diving for my back with outstretched hands. Without thinking, I ducked and weaved away, rolling and snapping my teeth towards the leg of the big one. My teeth caught him and then, with a vicious tug, I managed to grab him in a tight grip and tear at his flesh.

He didn't bleed, but his skin was rock-hard, like marble or granite. It was beautiful, more sweet then the oldest wine and juicier than a thick steak. He yelled in pain and then, they were on me, three diving for my form. But before they could tackle me, my claws swept through the air, catching none but sending the group skidding back. They were furious, their eyes narrowed, even the two older ones who appeared to be leaders.

"Emmett!" The blonde woman yelled, in panic and fear as she came to his side. His leg was hanging by a thread from below his knee, a huge chunk of muscle gone. I swallowed it and kicked my lips. I wanted more.

"Alice, what do you see? What is that… Thing?!" The lean man with honey hair yelled a smaller one behind him, a pale girl with dark hair and far-away eyes

She was small… And weak…! My head snapped up and I darted forward, moving quick like a snake going to strike prey, leaping through the air and going to pin her under my form. But when I landed, my claws only landed where her head _should_ have been. _What?!_ She was up beside me, like she predicted my move before I could make it. With a sly smirk, her fist shot out and connected with my shoulder and I was thrown a good ten feet away.

Too many… I couldn't fight them all, even if I wanted to - And I did, so desperately. Gritting my teeth, I slowly stepped back and watched them carefully with narrowed eyes. They scattered around, surrounding me. My eyes were drawn to a lady with a round face and kind eyes. She was back from the rest, but dropped into a predatory crouch, ready to protect her family at the drop of a hat.

Wait, family? How did I know that? My head went low, tail curled behind me as I backed up even more. My mind was coming clearer as I stared at her, confused.

 _Mom?_

I didn't have time to comprehend the brief thought that flickered across my mind before the lean man grabbed me around the back. I screeched and tried to turn to bite at him, hissing with fury, but his grip was tight. There was a sickening CRACK, as he forced his palm down into my shoulder and the bone snapped in two. Pain shot through me and he yelled to his brothers and sister. "Go, kill it now!"

The brawny one was back and he joined his companion on my side, his sheer strength holding down my legs. I wanted to scream at them, now knowing what was going on. I was Taylor, not a monster, but a human. What was happening? What was I?!

Emmett was crushing my legs and Jasper had his arms wrapped around my neck. I was struggling to breath now, rasping and trying to shake them off. I tried to speak again but all that came out was vicious snarls. More pain coursed through me and I shuddered, ready to accept fate. My own brothers were going to kill me… And rightly so, I tried to eat them!

"Wait!"

Edward's voice rang through the yard and he sprinted towards me. He was no longer a blur, I could see every detail of his form. His eyes, his hair, his clothing rippling through the air... It was amazing. His feet dug in the dirt as he skidded to a stop and gazed at me and I stared back in wonder.

Another snarl ripped from my throat as I tried to say his name or any of my family's. Emmett tugged my legs back harder, using all his strength. I snapped in frustration, glowering at him with vicious eyes. I still wanted to eat him.

My father stepped towards Edward. "Can you see it's mind?" he asked Edward very quietly, as if I was not meant to listen, but I could hear him so well. My senses were so sensitive, it almost hurt to inhale, open my eyes or even just hear the sounds around me. Once again, I was throwing my weight around, trying to escape but whether it was to run away or tear them apart… Both were tempting offers.

Edward turned to face me, frowning, but then he nodded to Carlisle. He answered an unspoken question from everyone. "I think so. Just keep it still, Emmett, Jasper."

The brothers pulled back harder and I snarled. My jaws lunged up towards Jasper but he jerked back quickly, too quickly. He was on guard, like a soldier with a foreign enemy in his homecamp. He was right, of course. I was a foe to them. The unknown, the mystery, a creature with strength and speed enough to match theirs. _Enough to maim one of them too_ , I thought, as I gazed back at Emmett with a twinge of guilt ringing through me.

 _Edward! Esme! Carlisle!_ I screamed at them all in my mind, hoping it'll work. But my growling and struggling was not helping the situation at all.

Rosalie was snapping at Carlisle, begging him to just let her kill me. Alice stared ahead blankly, trying to see the future while my mother just gazed at me with curiosity, fear and agitation all mixed into her golden orbs. And I stared back, my eyes softening. I needed her. I needed my mom.

"Edward," she murmured to him and approached the man. She lifted her hand to his shoulder. "Is it…?"

They faced each other now and Edward nodded slowly.

"Esme, don't!" Rosalie whispered furiously as my mother came forward and knelt down in from of my form. Despite all my rage and fury in me, I couldn't help but only watch her. So loving and kind, faced with a monster, and yet the touch she held on my face was soft and caring. Her cold fingers upon my scaly face were not uncomfortable, but rather soothing.

The monster was losing the fight. A strange feeling came over me and it was like a cold wind was just blown over me. I was shrinking and before I could blink, I was me again. Skin, fingernails, teeth, hair… Looking down, I could see blood pooling under me. My heart thudded against my chest as I stared at the crimson. No open wounds were on me and I couldn't see where the blood was coming from.

"Mom?" I whispered but then I realised I was sore, very sore. Emmett and Jasper had not let go and were standing tall over me, their faces showing their disbelief and confusion.

Esme hugged me and it was only when her chilly arms wrapped around me that I realised I was naked. A shiver ran down my shoulder and I stared. What… What was going on?

The anger returned and I glared at Carlisle. "What did you do to me?! What am I?!" I spat, my body shaking with huge tremors. "What… How…?!"

My father's face was blank and for once, he looked speechless. In fact, everyone looked just as scared and confused as I felt.

Someone placed a jacket over my shoulder and when I looked up, it was Emmett. He was grinning wide, despite his injury, and he seemed fine… For now. With a shake of his head, he stepped back and glanced to Jasper. They released me.

"Someone talk, please!" I begged, wrapping the leather jacket around my waist to hide my privates and I shifted my gaze to Carlisle again, pleading.

"I… I don't know, Taylor…" the man said gently, his eyes darkening and lowering to the grass.

I was aware of my family moving away, shifting from the predatory posture to something more… Human-like. With shaking legs, I rose and it was only then I could focus my attention on Emmett.

My big brother was smiling, but pain showed in his obsidian eyes. I always knew he was strong, all of them were, but the extent of what they could endure was now clear to me. Lifting a hand, I put it on his arm and tried to comfort him pathetically. A small smile formed on my lips sheepishly. Rosalie was holding him up, her lip curled distastefully.

Silence followed us all as we stood there in the yard, before Carlisle took command, waving his hand. "Inside, all of you. This is…" His calm voice cut out and his honey eyes glanced over me. "An unexpected development."

All of us came inside, slowly, walking at human speed but the minute I lifted my foot, the power surged through me. My heart skipped a beat. I was just as fast, just as strong, endurable… I wasn't a vampire, but an entirely new monster. _A curse,_ I told myself. However a part of me was secretly delighted. I sped ahead of the others, moving far too quickly before I skidded to a stop in the living area. My amazement must have shown on my face, because Edward laughed softly at me.

Throwing himself on the couch, Emmett propped his leg up on the end so Carlisle could examine him. Alice was still searching the future, curled up in an armchair with Jasper on the armrest beside her. His eyes were dark, arms crossed and a tight clench in his jaw. Rosalie sat beside her husband, too worried to even be angry… And trust me, I knew she was.

Mom came behind me with clothes, jeans and a t-shirt. Fondly, she touched my cheek. "Taylor… It's alright."

I shook my head. "I'm so sorry…" I mumbled under my breath and turned away to change into the clothing. I didn't care that they saw me, they all knew what my ass looked like anyway.

"Tay, really?" Alice scoffed as she directed her attention to me. Her cute little face was screwed up into a scowl. "None of us knew what was happening with you, not even I could see what change you were going into. You're not a human anymore… And don't you dare apologise for that!"

I stared. "Not… A human?"

"Obviously!" Rosalie hissed from her spot beside Emmett. Her hands were on his shoulder, gazing down at her husband with a strange look in her eyes. Worry was slowly creeping onto her face with each passing second, but she kept her tone even. "You turned into a monster and took a chunk out of Emmett's leg!"

Edward turned to Carlisle now, answering an unspoken question. "No, I don't believe so."

"What?" I demanded impatiently.

My father's eyes flickered to me. "I was thinking that you could be like those of La Push, a werewolf, but this… I have never heard or seen a creature like you before, Taylor."

I put my head in my hands and sat down at Alice's feet, leaning my elbows on my knees as I groaned. "What… I don't understand…" I mumbled into my palms. "Why… Alice, why didn't you see this? Warn me?"

Looking up, I saw her brow furrow. "Like I said, I just didn't. I don't know… Your future isn't clear right now."

"One thing is certain though." Jasper's voice was grim as he spoke loud and clear. "Your life has changed now, Taylor. You are, essentially, a newborn." My eyes were on his, glaring at the insult. But before I could continue, his gaze met mine and he continued. "Look in the mirror, Tay. Even your eyes have changed."

Slowly, I stood and walked to the bathroom but when I moved into it, it clicked I had moved way too fast. Dust had barely settled when I came in and as I stared around the titled room, I could see the motes in the air, floating as mere wisps, and a flicker of colour I had never seen before.

However, what disturbed me the most was my appearance. Nothing much had changed, at least, I thought at first. But then I noticed the curve of my torso and biceps, the slight toned edge to my face and lower abdomen. Everything was perfect, rounded to fit my body shape well, but it felt wrong. I kept myself fit, but my fat was gone, just pure muscle. It felt alien, too perfect, not real…

And my steel-grey eyes were now black, like charcoal. Like two coals after being in a hot fireplace, burnt to a crisp with red-tinged edges.

I screamed in terror, a deep blood-curdling sound, and threw my fist at the mirror. In an instant, it shattered and my hand was cut, but no blood spilled from my hands. It merely sliced cleanly, before my skin slowly stitched itself back together around the shard.

"Taylor!" Carlisle was beside me in less than a heartbeat, staring at the mirror and my fist still in the drywall. I withdrew it, a shard still embedded in my wrist. My breath was hot and heavy, unable to keep calm. His fingers brushed my skin and gripped the shard, before tugging it out.

He and I stared as my skin slowly came together, forming a healed wound where the mirror was embedded in my flesh. A sharp exhale escaped my lips in both shock and relief.

"Dad? What… What am I?" I breathed out in barely a whisper.

Looking up, I could see his face was tight, his mouth forming a thin line and making him seem older than he appeared… Or rather, as old as he should be. He sighed and then spoke. "I have no answers for you."

Turning away, I stomped downstairs, only to slam straight into Jasper. It didn't hurt, and he was actually sent back a few paces. His brow was raised and mine followed suit. "I think I can solve this problem, Carlisle. You see, when vampires are first turned, they need to hunt immediately, yes?"

I wasn't following, but Carlisle seemed to understand. He was nodding, following my brother's words. "Of course. He must be hungry… It's why he attacked us in the first place. Is that correct, Taylor? Are you hungry?"

I didn't answer at first, because the gnawing hunger in my belly was growing as I stood there, staring at them both.I couldn't understand why, but the smooth marble of their skin looked delectable, their muscles coiled and beautiful. All I wanted to do was to reach out and crush their skulls, digging my teeth into their-

A wave of calm washed over me, distracting me, and I blinked, looking to stare at Jasper in confusion and horror. "I… I…" was all I could stammer out. "I think… He's right. Whatever I am, I think I am meant to kill vampires."

My brother and father exchanged strange looks before their honey eyes flickered to mine, filled with curiosity and… Fear? I must be mistaken.

"He's right, Taylor. You need to hunt. To learn how to feed… Or whatever instincts you tell you to do," Carlisle said calmly. His tone was soft, but an authority braced his voice, an invisible order. "But you cannot eat us, obviously. You will become a vegetarian, like us." My father grinned, enjoying his little joke.

I grunted in agreement and then turned to walk downstairs. I barely reached the bottom before I realised I had moved down them in less then a heartbeat. If I could, I would have gasped in shocked, but my body seemed to be non-responsive to proper reactions right now.

A giggle came from my right and Alice was there, smiling, with Titan in her arms. My puppy yipped and reached for me, wriggling away from my sister's icy grip and into my arms. She licked my face and the smile across my lips spread wide. She still loved me, seeing nothing different.

"Figured you might enjoy some affection from her," Alice explained softly but then reached back for Titan with a strange gaze in her eyes. While I was hesitant, I gave her back and watched as my sister set her down and let the dog roam around our feet. I raised a brow as I saw Alice eyeing me off.

"Taylor," she began, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Your instincts… Whatever they are, they may see your companion as not a pet, but as food. You took a bite from your brother, how long will it take before we find her bones in your room?"

I bristled with anger at the thought. "I'd never-!"

Edward cut me off quickly, coming to my side. "Until we know more, we may have to treat you as a newborn vampire, but as something we know nothing about. And that means…"

"No school for a while," Alice finished his train of thought, pointing this out in a matter of factually tone.

While I was still annoyed, I simply shrugged, trying to decide if that was a good or bad thing. "Sure."

Emmett looked confused from his spot on the couch, his wound slowly healing. "He's… He's happy about no school?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "He IS still a teeanger, Em."

A bark of laughter escaped me before I realised what I was giggling at. I paused, embarrassed, and looked up to see my mother and father behind me. Again, the hunger dug at my stomach as I watched them. "Time to go?" I asked cautiously as I watched them.

Carlisle nodded. "Alice, Jasper, Edward?"

My three siblings were at my side in a flash, though I watched every individual step they took. It made my head hurt, honestly, but it was almost europhotic in a way. They were being themselves, no longer restricted to moving cautiously or slowly around my mortal form… Wait, was I still mortal? The thought made me frown and I saw Edward shrug out of the corner of my eyes.

"No matter," my brother said softly. "Let's go."

I felt myself be lifted by my elbows on either side, and before long, the white melted away into nothingness and was replaced by the cool green of the outside world.


End file.
